US threatens to quit International Energy Agency, but one demand is at the center of the standoff

The United States is considering withdrawing from the International Energy Agency if the organization does not shift its focus away from green energy initiatives. The threat comes directly from U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who is pushing for a change in the agency’s priorities.

As reported by Politico, Wright wants the IEA to stop acting like what he described as a climate advocacy organization and instead refocus on energy security. In the Trump administration’s view, that includes renewed emphasis on fossil fuels.

Speaking at a conference in Paris, Wright criticized the agency’s renewable deployment work as “leftist fantasies” that “distort their mission.” He also dismissed the idea of a net-zero scenario, stating, “We don’t need a net-zero scenario, that’s ridiculous, that’s never going to happen.”

The administration wants the IEA to abandon its energy transition focus

Since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025 with a platform centered on expanding fossil fuel production and rolling back environmental regulations, his administration has increased pressure on the Paris-based agency. Wright traveled to Paris this week for a ministerial meeting, where the dispute has taken center stage. The same news cycle has also included the Georgia teacher crash case.

Founded in 1974 after the first oil crisis, the IEA has long produced forward-looking scenarios outlining pathways toward renewable energy adoption. Those reports have been widely used by governments and industry to guide long-term energy planning. Separate reporting has also focused on the Meta digital persona patent.

The agency has already made adjustments that appear to respond to criticism. Its latest annual report, released in November, reintroduced a scenario based on current policy trends and revised its forecast for peak oil demand, now projecting growth continuing until the middle of the century rather than peaking in the 2030s.

Wright previously warned in a July interview, “We’re going to change the way the IEA operates, or we’re going to pull out.”